Well here we are, after a month of looking back over my reads of 2011, at my top book recommendation for the year. As I said yesterday each one of the top three is worthy of the top spot in it’s own way, but what gives this one the edge is two-fold. It’s a collection of short stories, and it is the first and the last stories that push it that little bit higher than all of the other thirty books that have come before it, and above all seventy-one others that I have read this year. If you’ve read it, you’ll know what I mean, if you haven’t then I recommend you get hold of a copy without delay (but you really should read the book that is a number three first).
Month: December 2011
Books of 2011 # 2 – Lake Charles by Ed Lynskey
The top three books in this review are exceptionally hard to separate. Each in its own way is worthy of the top spot, and Lake Charles is a very worthy runner-up.
Lake Charles: A Mystery Novel by Ed Lynskey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What’s In My Bag?
I though it was time for another comparison to the last time I posted this here.
There have been a few changes, most notably an iPad has replaced the small laptop I used to carry, and the backpack itself is now a larger version than the previous one. I love SwissGear kit, it’s well thought out, functional and tough as nails.
Here’s the full list for now:
- Pencil case, contains mainly markers and other presentation pens
- Tissues
- Moo business cards and stickers and work business cards
- Notebook and post-its
- Rail season ticket
- Access pass and keys
- Emergency dog biscuits
- Paracetamols and ibuprofen
- £1 coins in film cannister (for car parking machines and emergency coffees)
- iPad
- Sunglasses
- iPhone 3Gs & i-Phone charger
- Assorted memory sticks & extension cables
- Power Monkey Explorer and power tips
A version of this photo with annotations is available on flickr here.
Books of 2011 # 3 – Adventures of Cash Laramie & Gideon Miles by Edward A Grainger
Essentially a collection of short stories, this book is for Western novels, what Unforgiven was for the Western movie. Worth every one of it’s Five Stars!
Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles by Edward A. Grainger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 4 – Macbeth by David Hewson & A J Hartley
The only audiobook in the top thirty-one, but what an audiobook. As the review says think you know Macbeth? Think again.
Macbeth: A Novel by A.J. Hartley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 5 – The Road to Somewhere by James A Reeves
OK the top 5, and this is a nomadic road trip and a look at a country that I’m not sure if the author fully recognised. Great pictures and words, well worth a read.
The Road to Somewhere: An American Memoir by James A. Reeves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 6 – Carnival for the Dead by David Hewson
Just outside the top five spot, and a book that only had a limited release in 2011, with it’s major release coming in January 2012.
Carnival for the Dead by David Hewson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lupo has travelled to Venice to look for her Aunt Sofia who has mysteriously disappeared, leaving little explanation as to why, or her current whereabouts. It is the time of the Carnival, as Teresa tries to find her Aunt, and a series of events unfold that lead the reader on a tableau of adventure across the great city of islands, and where those dressed in Carnival costume may not be all they appear to be. This is the tenth novel in the “Costa” series, and the third time that David Hewson has taken us to Venice (The Lizard’s Bite & The Cemetery of Secrets, being the other two, and it is nice to see some homage to both of those novels within the pages of this latest one). It is rare that a book makes me change my plans or keeps me reading up late into the night these days, but Carnival for the Dead has done both of those things over the last three days. Keeping me turning the pages and setting the standard for crime novels, this story unfolds a tale of mystery, history and culture set in one of the worlds great cities. The history is well researched and the author manages to weave the history and culture into the pages, bringing the story to life. It brings a depth and colour to the pages that it is easy to picture oneself in the great city, with the same sights, sounds and smells as the characters on the pages. David Hewson is a master storyteller, and this book is no exception, it is one of his best and finest to date and this series has been getting better and better. If you are looking for a great story, and want to transport yourself to another place, then I strongly recommend this book. View all my reviews
Books of 2011 # 7 – Dumb White Husband vs The Grocery Store by Benjamin Wallace
Trust the Dumb White Husband to make an appearance, and on Christmas Day of all days! Well if you’re feeling a little overfull from too much Christmas Dinner, you could do worse than going on to Amazon and downloading this little short, particularly if you got yourself a new kindle for Christmas!
Dumb White Husband vs. The Grocery Store by Benjamin Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Books of 2011 # 8 – Meet The Dogs of Bedlam Farm
The only children’s book to make the list, but of course it is also a doggy book!
Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book Review: Ark by Charles McCarry
About the book:
Earth’s wealthiest man attempts to save humanity from an impending apocalypse
The planet’s first and only trillionaire, Henry Peel, did not make his fortune by being a fool. A gifted inventor and scientist, he possesses an imagination on the scale of history’s greatest thinkers, and he has turned it to the problem of Earth’s core. Two decades ago, scientists learned that the core spins faster than the rest of the planet, storing up a cache of energy that, if released, could cause an earthquake that would obliterate human life. To begin mankind anew, Henry Peel is going to lead us to the stars.
He gathers the world’s leading physicists and engineers and asks them to design a spaceship large enough to safeguard a sample of humanity and durable enough to survive a thousand-year voyage. Money is no object, but time is short. The apocalypse is on its way.
My Review:This is the first book by Charles McCarry that I have read but I wasn't disappointed. It cleverly mixes fiction and science fact to deliver an intriguing tale that kept me turn the electronic pages of my kindle into the night. Told in the first person, or rather observed by the narrator the story takes the reader around the world and presents and develops characters that make the book very real and give a tremendous amount of depth.
The book was a little slow to begin with, but quickly picked up and the detail of the tale was great. It was this attention to detail, and the combinations of genres that worked well, it's never quite clear where fact and fiction blend together to create something quite different.
I was reminded of the late Michael Crichton at his best, reading this novel, and Charles McCarry can weave a tale in the same way that Crichton could, keeping the reader guessing what's going to happen next but making the outcome believable.
A strong and intriguing read, recommended.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars.
Electronic Scrapbook 